Heartbeat
by HJedi312
Summary: I stink at titles  Ahsoka has been searching for her target for months and now she knows where he is. And who can get her there? Lux, of course.  I stink at summaries too. Basically, this is my first SW fanfiction, I've done THG before, and it's Luxoka
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

[Ahsoka's perspective]

"C'mon, Snips." Anakin calls, "Let's not keep the council waiting this time." "I'm coming, I'm coming!" I say, hurrying down the hall to catch the turbo lift before it closes. Today we have to give our report to the Jedi Council on all our activity over the past few weeks, and unfortunately that involves explaining how we lost our target, the young bounty hunter Boba Fett, yet again. The Jedi have been after Fett for several months, ever since he escaped prison. They've picked up some intelligence reports that suggest he is working with the Separatists on a big project, and my master and I were assigned to apprehend him, only this kid is smarter than you might think. He's somehow managed to allude us every time we get close enough to capture him, and then he disappears in to thin air, or so it seems. It's been a frustrating mission, and I feel like I'm almost ready to give up and let the kid do whatever he wants to with the Separatists. Almost.

The doors slide open and we step out in to the hallway, down the corridor and to those giant doors that used to be so scary to me, but now they're a familiar sight. Anakin gives me a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but I think it may be more for his sake than for mine. After all, he's the one who's going to have to take the blame for our mistake. Inside, the faces of all the council members are grave, like they always are these days, and I know our news surely won't bring any smiles. As Anakin begins to give our report, my mind goes back to the last time I saw Fett. He was standing over that dead clone, almost in shock over what he did. No one else seemed to notice the guilt on his face but me, probably because he wiped it off his face almost as quickly as it arrived, then he was on his ship and out of sight before we could blink. Sometimes I wonder about that boy, and if things could have been different for him if the Jedi had taken him in after his father's death.

I snap back to reality when Yoda's voice enters my consciousness. "Received new information, we have. Help you find Fett, it will." "Our contacts behind enemy lines have reported seeing him on Jaxus Prime." Master Windu explains. I give a start. Jaxus Prime is deep in to Separatist territory, and nowhere near a neutral star system, any main trading routes, or anything of any importance in the galaxy. It'll be extremely difficult to get there unnoticed, and that's a major understatement. "We'll need some kind of cover. How do expect us to get in and out of there?" Anakin asks. Yoda answers him, "Prepared transportation, we have. Help you, your escort will." "And, who is our escort exactly?" I ask. Yoda smirks as he answers, "Young Lux Bonteri."

[Later that afternoon, at the landing platform.]

"Are you okay, Snips?" my master asks, "You look a little nervous." "I'm fine, master, really. Just excited about ending this hunt for Boba Fett," I say, but I'm fingering my clothes anxiously, avoiding his gaze. Still, if he notices he doesn't say anything, and I'm so grateful. I'm not entirely sure why I feel this way right now. Lux is just a close friend. Maybe it's because I haven't heard from him since that incident with the deathwatch, or maybe it's because Anakin has heard me mention him so many times, but this is the first time they've met in person. What will he think of Lux? God, I hope he makes a good impression on him. What has Lux been doing lately? And why has he been chosen to take us to Jaxus? There are so many questions running through my mind right now. What's happening to me?

We arrive at the ship and my heart skips a beat. There's Lux, loading up the last of several crates of cargo, checking over his pad to make sure everything is accounted for. When he turns around, I can't help but smile. "Hi." he says, those green eyes staring straight in to mine. "Hey, Lux," I answer, keeping myself composed as much as possible. "This is my master, Anakin Skywalker." They shake hands. "Anakin Skywalker," Lux shakes his head in admiration. "I've heard a lot about you, that's for sure." "And I've heard about you," Anakin replies, with a glance toward me.

Lux glances down trying to hide his blush, but I've already seen it. "Well, um, master Jedi, I'm almost ready to get going. If you want to go ahead and take a seat inside, I'll be in there as soon as I take care of payment for my shipments." We nod and walk up the ramp. While we're waiting, I take the opportunity to look around Lux's ship. He seems to have done pretty well for himself here. He's loaded up with a ton of cargo, and as far as I can tell he's made a decent amount of credits since we last met. I can't say this is exactly the life I expected Lux to live, flying cargo from planet to planet, but it seems to be working for him.

I head back to the cockpit, where Lux and Anakin are going over the flight plans. "It's a two day journey from here to Jaxus Prime," Lux says, entering the coordinates. "I've got some rooms in the back where you guys can stay. They aren't the most spacious but they're comfortable." Anakin leans over Lux's shoulder carefully scrutinizing all his commands. "You know, there's a faster way to do that. See, all you have to do is come up here and-" "Master." Anakin turns around from the controls. "It's Lux's ship. Let's let him fly it the way he wants to, okay?"

Lux shoots me a grateful look before he takes over again. "Nice to be working with you again, Ahsoka." I smile. "Nice to be with you, too, Lux." He pushes forward a lever, and in to hyperspace we fly.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

[Lux's Perspective]

"So, this is your room." I say, and set down Ahsoka's things on the desk. She comes in and takes a look around, sits down on the bed. "This room is pretty nice," she remarks, and I swell with pride, stupid right? "Do you get many passengers during your travels?" she asks, those bright blue eyes looking curious as ever. "Well, at first I did. My employers wanted to make sure the job got done, and since they didn't know me, they decided to come along, but since then I've kind of made a reputation. People trust me now, mostly."

She watches me intently as I talk, like she's hanging on to every word I say. I'm tempted to lean in and kiss her right now, but she'd never forgive me. So I hold myself back, convince myself once again that we're just friends. It's hard, but it gets easier every time. I ask her what's been going on since I last saw her, and I have to admit that it sounds a lot more exciting than what I've been doing. Droid battles, chasing bounty hunters, compared to that my life sounds like it's a piece of stale bread. It makes me want to blurt out everything to her, boast about all my near run-ins with the military on both sides, show her my smuggling holds, exaggerate all my dangerous exploits. Wouldn't she be impressed then, if I told her about all my bravery? But I can't. She may be my friend, but she's still a Jedi, and she'd turn me in in a second.

The next two days are great, and Ahsoka and I have a lot of fun. She tells me about life as a Jedi, and how hard it's been tracking down Boba Fett. She tells me all about her adventures, and I love to listen to her talk. Everything she says, she says with excitement. Every thing she does, she does with enthusiasm. You can't help but light up around her, she just does that to you. The only bad thing is her master, Anakin. Sure he's nice enough, but I always feel nervous around him. Like I have to be extra careful with everything I do, especially how I interact with Ahsoka. If he got the idea that I was interested in her, I have no idea how he would react, and I don't really want to find out. Besides, I'm getting better at hiding it, the more I talk to her. I guess practice really does make perfect after all.

Now we're just hours from Jaxus Prime, and I'm dreading when we have to part ways again. For a moment I considered sabotaging the ship, so we would have to wait on repairs, but it was just a passing thought and it exited my mind almost as soon as it entered. It was a stupid idea, and I couldn't do that to Ahsoka. She needed to get Boba back to Coruscant in chains, and I was going to help her do it. I take the two of them in to a back room and hand them some clothes. "These are your disguises," I explain, "You can pass yourselves off as the new members of my crew. I'm the captain and pilot. I manage the deals and sign your paychecks. Anakin, you're my engineer. You take care of engine upkeep, spare parts, keep the hyperdrive working, and all that stuff. Ahsoka, you're going to be in charge of security. You operate the weapons and security systems around the cargo hold. Got it?" They both nod and go off to change.

Anakin comes back first, his Jedi attire replaced with a blue vest and shirt, baggy gray pants, and black engineering gloves and boots. His face is recognizable by several people within the Separatist Alliance, so he's got a visor over his eyes and a protective helmet. Ahsoka is looking stunning in a tight-fitting blue and green jumpsuit, complete with a utility belt decked out with all kinds of weapons. I hand them each their security passes and we're ready to go. As we approach the Jaxus system, I explain some more of our plan. "I know some places Boba frequents, so we'll check those out first. When we find him, let me do the talking. I'll tell him we want to hire him for a deal we'll explain on the way, make him an offer he can't refuse, and then he'll come with us willingly. Once we're out of the system, we arrest him and take him to the nearest Republic outpost, where you two will transport him back to Coruscant, and I'll take my payment and be on my way." On that last sentence I glance over at Ahsoka. She seems slightly upset, but not too much. Oh well. I've always known she doesn't feel the same way about me as I do about her, I just need to accept it.

We pass the checkpoints with no problem, after all I've made stops here before. They weren't perfectly legal trips, but they don't know that and neither do the Jedi. What I'm worried about is security on the surface, and I desperately hope the Republic is good at making fake Separatist clearance badges. Otherwise, our cover will be blown and we'll all be taken in to custody. That'll be the end of everything. I'll be taken to prison, and Ahsoka will be executed most likely. I take a deep breath. No, I won't let that happen. No matter what, I will protect Ahsoka with my life. I know I'm not much of a fighter, but I wouldn't hesitate for a heartbeat if Ahsoka was in trouble. "Shut up, you fool." I tell myself. Ahsoka can take care of herself. She's a Jedi, what does she need me for?

I receive instructions on where to land the ship, and I fly down to the landing pad. "All right, guys," I say, "It's time for you to be my crew." As we make our way down the ramp, loading droids are already bringing out my cargo, and security is approaching us for identification. "The name's Lux Bonteri," I say, "My crew and I have got several large shipments for Karlac distribution center. He checks my supplies, and they're clean, but I get a little nervous when he asks for our individual identification. My badge passes without a hitch, after all it really is legitimate. Then he scans Anakin and Ahsoka's and I hold my breath.

"You are clear to proceed," his robotic voice answers, and I let out a puff of air. "Thank you so much," I answer, "My crew and I are weary after our long journey. I think we'll go get a few drinks." Once we're out of earshot, Ahsoka whispers, "You did a great job back there." She gives my hand a squeeze and we exchange a look. I smile, because I finally impressed her, and lead the way to Boba Fett.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

[Ahsoka's Perspective]

"Nope, looks like he's not here either," Lux says, coming out of the cantina. My master and I both sigh. We've been checking all over this place for hours with no sign of Boba Fett or any of his accomplices. It's frustrating being so close to capturing him, yet so far away as well. The only thing that's making this tolerable is the fact that I'm getting to spend a little extra time with Lux.

"There is another place we should check while we're in the neighborhood," Lux says, pointing across the street to another bar. "As far as I know, Boba doesn't go in there too often, but it's at least worth a look, don't you think?" Anakin tells him to lead the way, so we cross the street and head inside. The lighting here is dim, and music is barely audible over the noise of multiple conversations going on around me. Suddenly I can sense something in the force.

"He's here somewhere," I say, and glance around the room. Lux then points him out in a corner booth towards the back. "Just let me do all the talking," he says, and then proceeds to make his way over to Boba. Anakin and I take a seat at the bar and order some drinks. Every once in a while I'll glance back at Lux and Boba, just to see what's going on, but it's impossible to tell from over here. "I don't like this," Anakin says, "I don't like leaving it up to Lux. What if he can't convince Boba to come with us?"

"He will," I answer, "I know he will." "Good thing at least one of us has confidence in his abilities." "He can do it," I insist, and glance back again to see Lux and Boba shaking hands. "See what I mean, Master? They made a deal." Anakin smirks at me and Lux comes back around. "All right, he's going to meet us at the ship in one hour. Then we're home free!" He takes a seat beside me and I smile.

"Thank you so much for what you're doing, Lux. I really appreciate it." He blushes and accepts a drink from the bartender. "It's no problem, really." He says, "You know I'd do anything for you." Anakin coughs, and Lux adds on, "You know, because I owe you. For saving my life." My master stands up, pushes back his drinks and lays some credits on the counter. "We'd better head back to the ship, get things ready for our friend Boba." " I agree," I say, and stand up as well.

Then something catches my eye, and I quickly turn around and walk away from the door. Anakin and Lux follow me. "Ahsoka? What's wrong?" "Deathwatch," I whisper, "They're coming in the front door." Lux glances back, sees them, then turns back to me. "Those are the same troops that we ran in to last time. I'm sure they'll recognize us if they see us." He looks over at Anakin and says, "If you can meet us at the ship, Ahsoka and I will sneak out the back door and try to make our way there without being spotted."

Anakin nods and moves toward the door, but I grab his arm first and say, "Even if we're not there, go ahead and leave without us. We've been trying to catch Boba for too long to throw this opportunity away." "All right, I will. Just try to get there on time." I nod, and he leaves. Lux takes my hand and leads me through the crowd, towards the back entrance. Okay, so maybe it's a little stupid, but I can't help feeling a little excited when he holds my hand. Why is that?

As we step through the door, it seems like we're going to get out fine, but then we run right in to Pre Visla. Lux mumbles an apology, tries to get around him, but he's already recognized us. "You two!" He exclaims, and we burst out running. "After them!" he yells, and several members of deathwatch begin chasing us down the alley. Lux and I run as fast as we can, turn corners, dive between building, and do everything we can to get away from them, but they're gaining on us.

"In here!" Lux shouts, and he opens a door in to a large indoor marketplace. We rush inside and hurry in between the vendors. Quickly, I glance behind me and see that we haven't lost them yet. We need to find somewhere to hide. "This way!" I say, and pull Lux down another aisle. Around another corner is a set of stairs that leads to the second floor. We rush up them and pause to catch our breath. We hear them running below us, but they don't think to go up the stairs.

Lux sighs and leans against a wall, still catching his breath. "That was close," he gasps out. "What are they even doing here on Jaxus?" I shake my head. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be good. Maybe we should try to stop them." "Are you kidding? We need to get back to the ship or else Master Skywalker is going to leave without us, and then we'll be stuck here."

He's right of course, but I still can't help but wonder about deathwatch. Why are they this far in to Separatist territory, and how did they get here? They must be meeting with an ally. Why else would they be here? If the deathwatch have made a deal with Separatists, then we're all in big trouble. "Come on," I say, "let's get back to the ship before they leave."

"Not so fast," I hear a menacing voice from behind me. "You're coming with us," I see a gas filling the room, and the world goes black.


End file.
